"Invisible"

Pleasure Masters

Artists:

Norwegian alt-pop leader Annie has had a bit of a quiet comeback this year after a long dormancy; her last full album was 2009’s Don’t Stop, after which she more or less did the opposite. While followers like Icona Pop burst onto the scene with stomping singles, recent Annie singles such as “Tube Stops and Lonely Hearts” have exercised restraint-- but not so with “Invisible”.

Produced by long-term collaborator Richard X, it’s a house track lost in a fog of clap-drums, acid squiggles and a heavy curtain of synths. It’s relentless and remarkably physical, as Annie does some girl-group spoken word lamenting (and, as is a music history student's tendency, some “Live to Tell” namedropping) about a failed relationship; the man-- or, Mannie, in the form of a pitch-shifted Annie pulling a Ciara and featuring herself-- mumbles an apology and begs for another chance. It’s familiar stuff, but the familiarity makes "Invisible" no less compelling.